Tips to Manage Your Loved Ones’ Medications Properly

Managing medications has become one of the most daunting tasks that a caregiver can face when trying to care for a loved one.

Do you feel overwhelmed and confused about managing your loved one’s medications? Especially as they age and potentially spend time in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living or even at home with home health or home care, it is important to get your questions proposed and answered.

Major medications prescribed to patients are mostly for anxiety, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, allergy, migraines, diabetes and osteoporosis. Almost all medications can cause side effects, even if most are not necessarily serious. Your pharmacist and physician can help you understand these effects and help you deal with them properly.

Here are a few helpful tips regarding the management of medications for a loved one:

– Follow the directions carefully. If doubtful on ANYTHING, it would be a good idea to ask your professional health consultants. It is better to be safe than sorry!

– Store all medications correctly, and away from light or heat sources

– Make sure to check the label and expiration dates before use

– Use daily/weekly containers to help with portioning them out and monitoring intake

Physicians and pharmacists generally feel like giving out all the nitty-gritty details on ‘all of the side effects and dangers’ may be considered too much information to a patient or caregiver, so be sure to speak up and ask if you are wanting the entire story.

Patients themselves should also take initiative in consulting with a nearby pharmacist that may help with the explanation process and why a certain drug is used to treat an illness or condition. Pharmacists are professionally trained to be a medication consultant, so take full advantage! The feedback given by patients can be used to develop patient-oriented treatment information that is handy in providing this vital information to future families.

If you are caring for a loved one and need some help figuring out the next step, a Cariloop Healthcare Coach would love to walk you and your family through whatever you may be dealing with. Become a member or call 1-844-790-5667 to get started.

Why does Cariloop exist?

Our team at Cariloop firmly believes that no one should ever have to go through caregiving alone. In an effort to deliver on this promise, Cariloop is arming families with the world’s first human-powered Caregiver Support Platform. Creating a seamless balance of touch and tech, Cariloop’s platform combines healthcare coaching services and cloud-based tools that help families plan for and manage their caregiving journey.